


That One Time Neil Fought For a Kingdom

by RedHeadFireBred



Series: That One Time Neil Ended Up In a Fairy Tale [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - No Exy (All For The Game), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Cliffhangers, Crack Treated Seriously, Cuddling & Snuggling, Curse Breaking, Curses, Death, Dragons, Dwarves, Elf Jean Moreau, Elves, Fairy Tale Curses, Fairy Tale Elements, Fantasy, Fights, Fluff, Half-Elf Kevin Day, Half-Elves, Horseback Riding, Horses, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm doomed to only write late at night, Intimacy, Knight Kevin Day, Language Barrier, Languages, Lebedínoye Ózero | Swan Lake References, MORE HONKS, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Minor Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker, Multi, Neil Josten Is an Idiot, Neil Josten as Nathaniel Wesninski, Neil kills a dude and literally is not phased, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Not Beta Read, Nymphs & Dryads, Oblivious Neil Josten, POV Neil Josten, People die in this one folks, Platonic Cuddling, Potions, Prince Aaron Minyard, Prince Andrew Minyard, Princes & Princesses, Protective Aaron Minyard, Protective Andrew Minyard, Protectiveness, Royalty, Sassy Neil Josten, Sleepy Cuddles, Soft Andrew Minyard, Soft Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Sorry Not Sorry, Spells & Enchantments, Stressed Kevin Day, Swan Andrew Minyard, Swearing, Swords, Swords & Sorcery, Treason, True Love, Witch Neil Josten, Witchcraft, Witches, andrew is still a swan this whole fic, andrew is the swan princess, he's still just so stupid, just in case, no beta we die like men, save this boy from himself, so you know what that means, still cause they're not together yet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedHeadFireBred/pseuds/RedHeadFireBred
Summary: Neil, Kevin and Andrew have started their journey across the Palmetto Kingdom to reach E'Allen and alert now-King Ichirou of his brother's plans to take over the kingdoms. They gain some companions as they go, but quickly learn that they may not be as safe or alone as they once thought they were.~*~Or, Andrew is STILL cursed, Neil makes some more friends and Nicky gives some better gifts.NOTE: There are two parts before this I'd recommend reading first to understand what's happening, but you don't have to read them to get what's going on.
Relationships: Abby Winfield/David Wymack, Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: That One Time Neil Ended Up In a Fairy Tale [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092800
Comments: 18
Kudos: 218





	That One Time Neil Fought For a Kingdom

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I just wanted to add a quick thing before you get to reading:
> 
> The previous two fics in this series were pretty lighthearted and crack-ish and while I didn't want this one to stick out from them too much, I did add a fight scene in which people die. And by that I mean Neil and Kevin kill people and it literally doesn't phase them. I know some people might want a warning to this so I wanted to make sure I added it.
> 
> So, WARNING: THE MAIN CHARACTERS KILL PEOPLE.
> 
> That is all. Happy reading, my darlings!

Magic is a really tricky thing, you see.

There’s different kinds of magic, different kinds of casters, different roads to take. Anyone can do magic whether they have the natural ability or not. It’s not something to fear, but rather something that can improve life, and help others. Granted, everything that can improve life can also hinder it, so it’s important to be cautious. Not everyone who has magic is good, just as not everyone who has it is evil.

In the E’Allen Kingdom, unknown to most of its citizens, the royal family works in underground dealings, hoarding treasures and spreading fear to keep their power. Nobody would dare oppose them or challenge their strength. Anyone who did met the axe of the Butcher of Baltimore Estate and were never seen again. 

Nathaniel Wesninski had been raised around death and torture and dark magic. It didn’t phase him, but he didn’t like it.

The Baltimore Estate was a dark and looming castle, built strong to withstand attacks like the palace in Evermore was. It was made of black stone, fit with tall looming towers, roofs topped with spiked merlons that might’ve been simply a decorative piece at one point in time. Surrounding the estate were tall hills and small bits of farmland before a large marsh. There were some flowers and trees that were well looked after by the servants that worked there, who weren’t allowed to leave. Sometimes, when Nathaniel walked the halls, he would find them being silenced by his father’s henchmen. Not organized or loyal enough to be called a guard, kept in check mostly by fear and their own insanity. When his father considered him to have misbehaved, they would be allowed to practice their skills on him. Nathaniel quickly learned the importance of wearing long coverings, especially if there was company coming to the estate.

But the thing everyone was waiting for was if Nathaniel would one day show natural magical ability, like his mother. Mary Hatford and Nathan Wesninski hadn’t married out of love or alliance or friendship, or any reason one may believe two people would marry. The Hatfords were a family of powerful Sorcerers and Enchantresses, and Mary was no different. When he was little Nathaniel remembered being fascinated with magic, watching people like his mother and uncle weave light through their fingers, full of power, able to do almost anything they pleased with a flick of their hands. While she seemed happy at times of his interest, she always warned him of magic, forcing him to look into other things.

In the end, it didn’t matter. At age eight Nathaniel did his first spell, and from then on his fate was sealed.

Nathaniel didn’t remember it all, but he knew his father was handing him over to the royal family and become part of the Ravens, their secret-police like team full of powerful magical users. He would go through two rounds of “tryouts”, in which those that were handed over to the royal family had to prove their worth. There he met Prince Riko, second-born son of King Kengo Moriyama, who would one day become the leader of the Ravens. He also met Kevin Day and Jean Moreau. Kevin didn’t have magic but his skill with weapons was unparalleled, plus his heritage as a half-elf give him heightened abilities like eyesight and hearing. Jean was also skilled with weapons, particularly the bow, but has his own magical abilities.

Barely a month after casting his first spell, Nathaniel was taken to Evermore castle. It looked exactly like one would think a castle would look like, seemingly made of nothing but tall towers with spiked roofs, stained glass windows covering walls and multiple guard towers keeping eyes on the docks. The castle was built on a large island in the middle of a peninsula, accessible only by boat or the three bridges that connected the island to the mainland. When Nathaniel visited the castle for the tryouts he remembered staring at it intently, trying to figure out if the brick was black or red in color. It was difficult to tell - it wasn’t like Baltimore Estate which was dark and unmistakable, but instead in the right light the stones shine a different hue, like a red sun rising in the morning.

The tryouts themselves were difficult. Nathaniel was the youngest participant who knew _of_ magic, but now how to control his own. Before he’d left his mother had handed him a tree branch the same height as himself, hands shaking and face stern, leaving him with a warning not to fail. Nathaniel didn’t dare disappoint, and did whatever someone commanded of him without hesitation, using the staff as an amplifier for his magic. For a way to focus his magic and not accidentally kill himself.

There was no way to know if you made it through the tryouts. If you passed you were part of the Ravens, and if you failed, you were killed. Nathaniel was told all of this but at the time, he was barely ten years old. It didn’t register to him that he could die very soon.

It registered to Mary. Before the second round, she took Nathaniel and ran.

The two traveled the lands and kingdoms on the run, trying to keep one step ahead of the Butcher of Baltimore Estate and anyone else that may come after them. They traveled through the Vixen, Trojan and Palmetto Kingdoms, staying away from large cities and using fake identities as they went. Eventually they got to the Enchanted Forest, where Mary built her tower that the two lived in while they tried to wait for safety that would never come. While on the run she forbade Nathaniel from using his magic and taught him different ways to sate it. If not used properly, magic could suddenly be released and destroy the caster. 

But they could never really be safe. Eventually Nathan Wesninski came, backed up by his henchmen in an attempt to destroy the tower. When they took their chance to run, Mary got mortally wounded by using too much of her magic at a time, burning herself up from the inside out. She’d managed to get herself and her son far away from the tower before she finally died at a small lake, fit with a waterfall and trees at all sides. She made Nathaniel - at the time called Abram - repeat the teachings she’d given him over the years as they’d traveled. Nathaniel had buried her there, under the gnarled roots of a willow tree.

Neil shook his head, bringing himself out of his thoughts. The sun was just starting to rise, turning the sky into a technicolor of reds and pinks and yellows and blues. The stars were still just barely visible, giving the sky a glittery shine. That night they had rode all the way to the Foxhole, the capital city of Palmetto. In the distance loomed the Palace of Palmetto, a large fortress built out of cream colored stone sat atop a large hill, overlooking a huge city of buildings and towers. There were four tall towers and huge walls, the roofs were orange in color and there were crests of the royal family in large tapestries visible even from the distance they rode at.

They rode through farmlands on either side of the main road. Already people were out doing work, tending to their crops and animals. It was busy, yet peaceful, reminding Neil of his own garden back at his cottage. As they got closer to the city they approached large walls, made out of the same cream colored stone the palace was. Large wooden doors were open, flanked on either side by knights armed with large spears and wearing silver armor, similar to what Kevin was dressed in. Some people were entering and exiting the city but Neil imagined it would get even busier later, once merchants and villagers started their days.

Neil was also confused why they were entering the city. It would make more sense to just ride to Evermore as quickly as they could. “Where are we going?” he called to Kevin.

“We’re meeting someone before we begin,” Kevin called back.

Neil assumed that someone was either Aaron or Nicky. Andrew chose that moment to peek his head out from behind Neil’s cloak, where he had snuggled up last night on the ride. “Morning,” Neil teased, receiving nips to his fingers holding the reins of his horse as a response.

Kevin led them down some streets, eventually coming to a stop at a tall village home with a large stable next to it. The base of the building was open, displaying racks of different kinds of tools and weapons, a large furnace and other supplies. The ground was covered in a thin layer of stone and straw. Neil could feel the heat from where he was outside the building. When they got close Andrew let out a loud honk, moving further away from Neil, like he was trying to get a better look at the building.

A large man walked outside, coming to a stop when he caught sight of Kevin and Neil. He was wearing an apron and short sleeved shirt covered in sweat, allowing Neil to see the intricate tattoos covering his forearms. His hair was short and grayed from age but his brown eyes were warm and welcoming. He smiled at Kevin and leaned against the nearest wall. “What brings you here?” he asked.

“Supplies before we go,” Kevin replied quickly. There was probably some other message in the words he spoke Neil didn’t get. Kevin dismounted his white horse and gave the man a short hug while Neil stayed awkwardly in place. When they pulled back Kevin gestured towards Neil. “This is Neil Josten, the witch. Neil, this is David Wymack, the best blacksmith in the lands. And my father.”

Wymack scoffed at the “best blacksmith” part, but gave Neil a welcoming look before focusing on Andrew. He let out a long sigh. “Andrew Joseph Minyard,” he said, not quietly enough. Thankfully nobody looked over, but Neil still got nervous, wondering if there were people working for Luther or Riko watching them. “What have you gotten yourself into now?”

Andrew could only honk at him in varying volumes. Neil quickly dismounted when he figured they were going to be staying here for a time, at least to give the horses some rest. “It’s not his fault,” he told Wymack. “Nobody asks to be cursed.”

Wymack didn’t argue with that. He looked back to Kevin. “Your horses can rest in the stable. After that, let me know what you need.”

“Thank you,” Kevin replied.

~*~

There were some stairs opposite to the large furnace in the blacksmith shop that led to the upper level of the village house. Inside a modest kitchen was a woman with long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. She was wearing a simple dress and had a kind smile on her face, introducing herself to be Abby Winfield, Wymack’s wife. She had some food set on a table and invited them to eat. Neil refused, Kevin took some eggs and Andrew attacked some scones. Abby watched him with a concerned look on her face.

“Should he be eating that?” she asked Neil.

He shrugged. “He’ll be fine.”

Hopefully. Andrew was fine when he ate the other baked goods Neil had given him, so he assumed the curse didn’t give him a swan’s diet restrictions.

“So,” Wymack said after a bit of small talk. “What did you boys come here for?”

“We came to get Andrew’s things,” Kevin replied. “And Neil needs a sword.”

“I do?” Neil asked.

“You do,” Kevin confirmed.

“We’ll find you something,” Wymack continued. He put down his cup he’d been drinking out of and started towards the stairs that led to the blacksmith shop.

“I have my bow,” Neil started to argue.

“Yes, because that’ll be the perfect weapon in close combat,” Kevin said drily.

Neil thought back to one time his mother had used a single arrow to stab three of his father’s men in vital points after losing a dagger. She’d always favored bows to other weapons. “I like my bow,” Neil said to himself. It was clear neither Kevin or Andrew paid him any attention.

He followed the others downstairs, watching Wymack put away some of his tools and pick up a standard looking sword, handing it to Kevin. The knight drew the blade and passed it from hand to hand, nodding to himself. At the same time, Andrew flew up to some counters and began to use his beak to move things around, honking a few times.

“You’re not gonna find them there,” Wymack told him, walking towards the furnace. He knelt down and pulled a stone out of the wall, revealing some sort of hidden compartment. From there he pulled out two black arm guards, some fingerless gloves and two small daggers, fit with sheathes. Andrew flew over with a honk, nosing over the items when Wymack placed them on the floor. After a few seconds he looked up at Neil, then used his beak to nudge them to the witch.

Neil knelt down and looked over the items. He supposed smaller daggers would be easier to use than a sword. They came with thigh holsters that would attach to the belt around his waist, easy to grab whenever he needed them. Gloves would be handy to have when handling the weaponry, keeping him from splitting open the skin of his palms. The arm guards would probably be clunky since he wasn’t used to wearing them, but they appeared to be strong. Neil picked one up and turned it over in his hands, observing the strange way the straps would circle his arms. There was a stiff piece on the underside of them both that would be placed against his inner forearm. He tapped the outside of the armguards, satisfied at the stability he felt there.

“They’re made of dragon scales,” Wymack explained to him. “We had a Slayer trade with us, once.”

“You made these?” Neil asked, looking more closely. Sure enough, when he squinted, he could see the individual scales that fit together like a puzzle woven into the tough black leather.

“Andrew did,” Wymack answered. At Neil’s look he continued, “He worked for me before he met his brother. Those are his pride and joy.”

Said swan nudged the guard in Neil’s hands. He was pretty sure he understood what Andrew was offering, so he pulled them on over the top of his thin gray tunic. They fit well, just a little large for his arms, but with enough adjustments of the leather straps they stayed in place. There was one piece of the arm guards that rested over the back of his wrist joint, not quite hindering his movement, but clearly there for a reason. Neil experimentally moved his wrists back just slightly, feeling those pieces move with him easily.

He snapped his wrists back. It turned out the firm strap resting on his forearm wasn’t a strap at all, but instead a perfectly concealed sheath for a thin blade that extended a few inches past Neil’s hands. The witch couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them, then glanced at Andrew, who now looked smug. He slowly moved his wrists back. The piece he’d hit moved with him, and the blades retreated back to their sheaths.

“Thanks,” he told the swan. Andrew honked back.

“Here, Neil,” Wymack called. Neil stood up to face the blacksmith, taking the sword he was holding towards him. It wasn’t a long blade, and seemed more like an oversize dagger than anything else, but it was elegant and light. “This is an enchanted shortsword,” Wymack explained. “It’s an amplifier of magic.”

Neil froze, then quickly sheathed it. “I don’t need an amplifier,” he said.

“Why not?”

The immediate response that not all magic was the same came to him, but Neil managed to hold back. “Witches don’t use amplifiers,” he settled on. “Not like wizards or sorcerers or…” He trailed off. “Amplifiers I use aren’t like other magic-users.”

“Then don’t use it as an amplifier,” Wymack replied, as though Neil was a whining child.

Neil didn’t want to explain that the shortsword _could_ become a problem by drawing from his magic because...a witch wouldn’t have that problem. So instead he settled for glaring at Wymack and attaching the sheath to the belt around his hips. After he did so suddenly Andrew was there, nipping at his fingertips in a way Neil was starting to think was his way of reassurance. It worked.

“Neil,” Kevin called from the entrance to the shop. “I need to get something. Stay here.”

_“Don’t worry, I won’t go storming the castle without you,”_ Neil called back in Elvish.

Kevin didn’t respond to his jab. Instead of awkwardly waiting around in the blacksmith shop, Neil grabbed the rest of Andrew’s things and retreated back towards the stables with the swan in tow. When they reached Esprit, his brown mare, Andrew flew to sit on the saddle and Neil started pulling on Andrew’s fingerless gloves. They were a bit large for his hands but they were definitely better than nothing. He fit his quiver just above the belt, at the perfect spot right below the small of his back, where it wouldn’t get in the way of his pack. Finally, he strapped the daggers to his thighs and the belt the shortsword was hanging from, and decided to grab the tea he’d made so he wouldn’t have to think about the blade anymore.

In the end, Kevin was gone for much longer than Neil thought he would be. He sipped the tea from his thermos and thought a bit more about the journey. The Enchanted Forest wasn’t technically part of any kingdom, but instead located in an awkward position towards the edge of the Palmetto Kingdom and at the base of a huge mountain range. The forest also bordered the Vixen and Trojian Kingdoms, but not E’Allen, so the plan was to journey through Palmetto in order to reach it. The ride would take two days at best using the main roads, plus another to reach Evermore. If all went well the entire trip would take about a week, which would give them enough time to get Andrew back for his coronation.

Neil drank his tea, staring at Andrew who was sitting on his brown mare Esprit’s saddle, looking more irritated than usual. Probably because there were lots of people that stared at him as they went by. At one point a little girl came up to Neil and asked if Andrew was his familiar. Neil didn’t know what to say to that but by that point he’d already explained that familiars are usually cats or smaller birds, like crows, so he awkwardly told the little girl Andrew was his pet.

He didn’t think Andrew was pleased.

Thankfully, no more strangers came up to them with questions or talk, but when Kevin returned he wasn’t alone. With him were two other knights, dressed in the same silver armor. One was a woman a bit shorter than Kevin and the other was a man taller than them all. There was also a woman with blonde hair styled in tight curls around her shoulders, in an expensive but thin dress with a shortsword on a belt around her waist. Lastly there was another woman with short platinum blonde hair woven with pastel colors and wearing a strange sort of white and muted orange robe. Neil watched them cautiously, unsure how to feel about more people seeing them before they went on a rather important mission. He got brought out of those thoughts when Andrew honked at the sight of them, clearly displeased.

Kevin ignored him. “Neil, this is Captain Dan Wilds, Matt Boyd, Lady Allison Reynolds and Renee Walker.”

“Hi,” Neil said with an awkward wave.

“Nice to meet you,” said Matt, walking forward and shaking Neil’s hand. Neil kept glancing at his hair, styled in spikes, and wondered how they could stick up like that. “You’re a witch, right? Kevin told us a bit about you.”

Neil didn’t know how to feel about Kevin telling other people about him, either. What if he suddenly realized he knew Neil? That would surely complicate things. “Oh, cool,” he ended up mumbling, drinking some more tea so he wouldn’t have to respond further.

“We’re going to accompany you to the border,” Dan said, walking forward to shake Neil’s hand as well. “Me and Matt are escorting Allison and Renee to her estate there.”

Oh, this would be a fun journey. Neil managed to hide his grimace and focused on Andrew instead, who looked like he was wondering if he could get away with biting everyone. Or something like that. Hoping to spare everyone the wrath of a swan, he went to one of his saddlebags and took out some sweet bread, letting Andrew eat it out of his palm.

“This is the _real_ reason we came,” Allison said, walking close and grinning at Andrew. It wasn’t in a nice way. “This is _great.”_

Andrew clearly didn’t think this was great, and neither did Neil, for the record. He honked loudly at her and went for a bite somewhere, but Allison was fast and dodged the attack, looking rather smug about it as well. “Leave him alone, Allison,” Renee spoke up, her tone gentle yet stern.

Allison listened, taking a few steps back. “I still can’t believe it. Do you have any idea how long it took to get your brother to talk?”

“We’re not here to gawk at Andrew,” Kevin interrupted, walking further into the stables. “Get ready. We need to get moving.”

“Ever the mood-killer, Kevin,” Allison huffed.

Everyone now part of the company went about getting ready to leave. Neil put away his thermos and put his pack back on, giving Andrew another few bites of sweet bread before taking a bite of his own. By that point the others started to mount their horses so Neil did as well, letting Andrew get settled at his front. It was still awkward that he chose to be there because there wasn’t any room on the saddle, but somehow he was making it work. 

“Wait!”

Before they could leave, Nicky and Aaron ran up to the stables. Nicky was smiling but Aaron looked either bored or nervous - it was hard to tell. 

“Isn’t it suspicious that you’re here?” Neil asked. “Or something?”

“I’m seeing off a noble woman and my court magician,” Aaron easily replied. “If you happened to be here as well, that’s not my fault.”

“Hey, you’re wearing the hat!” Nicky said with a little cheer, pointing at said hat. Neil had forgotten about it and simply shrugged. “We wanted to bring a few things.”

Neil was wary of the package Nicky was handing him, mostly because he had barely any room left to carry anything, but took it in his hands anyway. It was thick and just a bit heavy, and Neil was pretty sure whatever was inside were books. “Thanks,” he said while Andrew nudged the package with his beak.

“Wait to open it when you make camp,” Nicky instructed. “It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

Deciding to take his word for it, Neil stretched awkwardly to put the package in a saddlebag. Soon he’d have to enchant the things to have more space if they were given anything else to take along. When he straightened back up he found Aaron at his side instead of Nicky. His arms were crossed and he had a serious look on his face while he had a staring contest with his brother. 

**“If you die, I’ll never forgive you,”** Aaron told him. Neil thought it was almost ironic that he, Andrew and Nicky could speak Dwarfish, and had spent too much time wondering if they had any dwarf heritage. It was also awkward when they’d speak in the language, clearly thinking they were having private conversations when Neil could listen in. He awkwardly stared at the two as Andrew honked back at him, a bit quieter than before.

After a few seconds, Aaron finally looked at Neil. “Take care of my brother,” he ordered.

Andrew honked louder and bit Aaron’s nose, but it wasn’t a harsh bite. Aaron still recoiled and slapped Andrew away, but the message was clear. Neil just gave the prince a smile and nod. “I will,” he promised. He got some nips to the fingers holding loosely to the reins of the horse after he said so, but Aaron relaxed just slightly and stepped away.

Kevin rode forward, giving Aaron a nod, then led the rest of the company out of the stables. They weaved through the morning crowds and finally got out of the city, riding faster along the main road through the farmlands, and finally making it out to the open land. 

Neil had a feeling it was going to be a long ride.

~*~

He was right, the ride was long. But not in a bad way.

After they’d left the city, Matt started a conversation with Neil. Foxhole hadn’t yet disappeared over the horizon, but they were far past the farmlands surrounding it, making their way towards a short woods the main path led to. “So, Neil, where’re you from?”

Black stone didn’t come to mind first, which was a comforting thought. Instead it was old trees, wildflowers, and a modest garden to the right of a small cottage made of fieldstone and wood at the base of a thickly knotted Foxtail Pine tree. “I live in a cottage in the Enchanted Forest,” Neil responded.

“Really?” Matt asked. He had a little crease between his eyebrows, but it wasn’t in a frown. More like he was thinking. “What’s that like?”

Neil wasn’t expecting that question. Probably something more like, “Why would you live there?” given everyone across the land avoided the place. “It’s peaceful,” he eventually settled on. “If you know your way around, anyways.”

“I imagine having magic helps.”

“I specialize more in potions and charms than spellwork,” Neil explained with a small smile. “Just good memorization skills.” Which is a lie, Neil has shit memorization skills when it doesn't involve life-threatening situations, not to mention the ever-changing nature of the forest. He looked ahead to where Kevin was leading the group. _“And help from the elves.”_

Kevin ignored him, which made Neil’s smile wider. “What was that?” Matt asked.

“Wood Elvish,” Renee spoke up. She was smiling when Neil glanced back at her, comfortably sitting on a black spotted horse. **_“Elvish are you, Neil?”_ **

She was using a different accent, hissing on the ‘h’ and ‘s’ sounds more, but it was still understandable. Probably a different dialect. _“No,”_ he said back. “I used to live in the woods with my mother. After she died they found me, and taught me how to live there. How to speak with the animals and use my magic.”

“That’s incredible. I’ve always wanted to meet an elf,” Matt said, adding a tiny sigh at the end.

“They’re not how stories describe them,” Neil warned. “They’re kind of snobbish, actually. Full of themselves, don’t like to be bothered…” He trailed off, then faced Matt, who seemed eagerly waiting for him to continue. “They’re not romantic like stories say,” Neil ended up finishing. “Dwarves are romantic. They’ll work for months on the perfect gift to give you if you’re worth their time.”

“You’ve met dwarves too?” Matt asked.

“Yeah. I traveled all around the land when I was young.”

“Ever see a dragon?”

“No,” Neil immediately said, shaking his head. “God, no. And I don’t want to.”

Allison moved her black stallion closer, followed by Dan, to join the conversation. She began to say as though she were reciting something, “There dwelt the monster, there he lay, / His spoil awaiting, night and day; / Like the hell-dragon, thus he kept / Watch near the shrine, and never slept; / And if a hapless pilgrim chanced / To enter on that fatal way, / From out his ambush quick advanced / The foe, and seized him as his prey.”

Everyone rode in silence for a few tense seconds, taking in what Allison had said. Eventually Dan said, “You don’t want to get tangled up with dragons. Trust me.”

Neil watched her ride ahead to be side-by-side with Kevin. “She sounds like she’s speaking from experience,” he mumbled.

“Dan’s fought a dragon before,” Matt began to tell him. “She comes from a long line of slayers. But when she went to kill her first one, she couldn’t do it. So she was cast out.”

It didn’t seem like it was Matt’s story to tell, but at the same time Neil could tell the two were close. “And became a knight?”

“Eventually.”

Neil slowly nodded. “What about you?”

“Oh,” Matt said, rubbing the back of his neck in clear embarrassment. “Uh, my mom was a maidservant to Queen Tilda. My dad was a doctor, but he knew a group of bandits. He would join them for a raid once in a while, and I joined when I was little. When my mom found out she left her job to take me in, get me out of it. I found better work.”

“That’s admirable.”

“Thank you.”

It was very sincere. Neil ducked his head, but eventually glanced back at Renee. _“So, are you Elvish?”_

**_“Half-Elvish may I be,”_ ** she replied. “I was orphaned, but it’s hard to mistake your heritage when your ears tell the tales.” She moved some of her hair aside, displaying their pointed ends. “I lived on the streets until I joined a group of magic users. Eventually knights caught me and I was sent to a convent. I worked my way up and met the royal family, and became court magician.”

“Damn glad you did,” Allison said with a grin. “Well, if we’re sharing backstories, I’m the eldest child of the noble Reynold’s family.”

She didn’t continue. Neil felt he might regret it, but he’s done a lot of things he regrets, so he asked. “Is...that it?”

“‘Is that it’?” Allison repeated with mock offence, putting a hand over her heart. “How cruel. I haven’t even gotten to the tragic part.”

Renee rolled her eyes. “Very tragic.”

“I was disowned because I refused to marry Aaron and become queen,” Allison explained. When Neil cringed she nodded. “I _know._ Anyways, got disowned, had to make my own titles...and I got to meet a cute magician.” She grinned at Renee after saying this, who seemed to smile dopily back.

Neil couldn’t think of anything to say in response. Everyone was being so trusting with their history to him, even though he wasn’t in return. Well, he told half-truths, but not the full story. He wasn’t ready to talk about it, though, and probably wouldn’t be by the end of his very short life. The person he’d been the most honest with was Andrew during their late night talks at the sacred grounds, when they spent as much time as they could talking to one another before falling asleep on a pile of blankets.

Andrew saved him from responding by finally moving where he was curled up against Neil’s front, still in an awkward position of trying to force himself onto what little room there was on the saddle and at the base of Esprit’s neck. He let out a quiet honk and moved to what was apparently a more comfortable position, head tucked under a wing. Allison tempted fate by cooing over the action while Renee simply smiled at it. 

For a good portion of the day Neil stuck to conversation with Matt since he was easy to talk to and didn’t hate it when Neil would take the time once in a while to jab at Kevin in Elvish. After a short rest for the horses and taking some time to stretch their legs, Neil found himself standing next to Renee, watching as Andrew flew through some trees at a lazy pace.

“Why didn’t Aaron talk to you about curses?” he asked after a bit.

“Truthfully, I don’t know that much about them,” she explained. “I’ve never casted a curse and never felt the need to research them before. Andrew also insisted that he talk to you.”

“Really?” Neil asked. “Did you know about the curse?”

“Only recently. Aaron couldn’t find Andrew until a few weeks ago.” Renee took a deep breath. “It’s been...difficult.”

“I should’ve realized something was wrong,” Neil mumbled.

“Don’t blame yourself.”

Neil decided to keep quiet to satisfy her. He was pretty sure Renee saw through him.

They made good progress that day, deciding to make camp off the main road when they reached a thin forest road. Neil helped set up the tents and then went with Andrew as company to gather some firewood. He picked up larger sticks while Andrew seemed interested in the smaller ones, throwing them around the forest floor and flying up to tree branches once in a while. He also ran into some giggly nymphs and kindly asked that they not destroy their camp that night. When they got back, Matt and Dan were making some kind of soup, so Neil set up the fire to let them cook.

“Neil,” Kevin called while they set a pot over the fire. Neil got up and followed him a safe distance away from the others. He drew his sword and held it in his right hand. “I’m going to show you some forms.”

“Oh. That’s very nice of you, Kevin, but I’m just fine with my bow.”

“Absolutely not,” Kevin huffed. “If you can’t defend yourself in close combat you’re just a dead man walking.”

“Then what’s Andrew right now?” Neil gestured at the pale-gold swan that was glaring at him from his cozy spot near the fire. “A dead swan flying?”

Said swan decided to show him just how defenseless he was by biting Neil harshly on the calf. Kevin had no sympathy. “Guard up,” he commanded, holding his sword with two hands at about waist height, the blade pointed skyward.

Neil huffed but drew his shortsword, holding tightly to the hilt and trying to copy the way Kevin was standing. So far it didn’t seem to be responding to his magic which was...good. He thought. Wasn’t quite sure, because the only time he'd used an amplifier before was years ago. But the longer it sat in his hands the more nervous he got, even as Kevin showed him how to move to block blows and seek out weak points to attack.

“Good,” Kevin praised after he noticed an open spot to strike his companion. He was pretty sure Kevin had left it that way on purpose.

“Urg,” Neil groaned back. He was starting to feel it, now, the thrum of magic beneath his skin. “What if they have a shield?”

“You’re fast, right?” Kevin asked. He raised his sword differently this time, by the right side of his head with the blade pointed straight out, towards Neil. “Get behind them.”

After thinking about it for a second, Neil made a face but nodded. “Do I have to do that one? You look ridiculous.”

Kevin rushed forward, and it was only because Neil was fast that he didn’t get skewered in the chest with the blade, raising the shortsword to try and block. Somehow he kept his magic from releasing, though it wanted to respond to his adrenaline spike and movement, which would be so easy to do with the shortsword in his hands. He dropped the blade to cut off the temptation and glared at Kevin. “You could’ve killed me.”

“I knew you’d dodge.”

Not wanting to give Kevin the satisfaction, Neil stared down at the shortsword, wondering if he should pick it back up. He slowly reached for it, aware of the slight shake to his hands as he went to take it, eventually managing to grab the hilt. He could’ve breathed a sigh of relief when he felt no thruming under his skin or urge to use the shortsword as anything but just that. When he looked up, Kevin was giving him a weird look.

“Let’s go again,” Neil said.

_“What’re you afraid of?”_ Kevin asked.

Shit. Bad. “Let’s go again,” Neil repeated.

Though he clearly wanted to protest, Kevin decided to keep his thoughts to himself and raised his sword in the same guard at the side of his head, and they went again.

They didn’t stop training until Dan called them to eat dinner, passing them some bowls filled with some kind of vegetable soup. Neil sat down next to Andrew, who rested his head on the witch’s thigh and ate some sweet bread. Allison and Renee stuck together in their own conversation while Neil talked with Dan and Matt. Kevin seemed to stick to himself while he ate, staring up at the sky that began to light up with stars now that the sun had set.

“Hope he wasn’t too hard on you,” Matt said softly.

Dan huffed a tiny laugh. “That’s nothing. You should see the training grounds.” After a moment of silence, she held out a hand to shake. “You’re good with a blade. If you ever want any pointers, you’re welcome to train with the guard.”

“Oh, thanks,” Neil replied, awkwardly shaking her hand. “I don’t like swords,” he admitted after a moment. “They’re big and clunky and impossible to hide.”

“You use a bow,” Dan noticed.

“It was my mother’s favorite.”

“Kevin’s right, though. It’s important to know how to fight in close combat.” Dan glanced at the knight. “He’s only hard on you because he sees potential.”

“Potential not to die by being skewered by a broadsword?”

“Probably,” Matt put in with a smile.

“Don’t be mean,” Dan scolded, looking back at the two. “Kevin’s a very talented knight. He’s one of the best in Palmetto, if not _the_ best.” She paused to glance at the fire instead. “He used to be part of the Ravens, E’Allen’s secret police force, and worked closely with Riko. Then one day he left the kingdom in search of his father. Andrew brought him to the palace with a broken hand and spirit, but he found a new place with us.”

There was more to the story, Neil was sure. Nobody just _leaves_ the Ravens. It was no wonder Riko was trying to get Kevin back - he could start spreading word about what goes on in the kingdom, underground and behind the citizen’s backs. There was definitely more to this, things Neil didn’t get that had to tie together the whole treason thing, but he wasn’t eager to stick his nose into that stuff. He needed a distraction.

Putting away his now empty bowl, he finally decided to look at the package Nicky had given him. Settling back down in the spot he’d been in next to the fire, he ripped the paper off, frowning curiously at the books in his hands. Andrew waddled up to him and nudged one of the books, then honked once and flapped his wings. There was some spark in his eyes, some kind of excitement there. A note was left between two of the books that read, _These are some of Andrew’s favorites. Do him a favor and read a few? ;) -Nicky_

Neil didn’t recognize the stories, but they seemed to be works of fiction. He flipped open one to get a glimpse at the story and snorted. “I’m not that surprised you like mystery,” he said, giving Andrew a grin. The swan nudged the book in his hand and instead shoved a different book closer to him, so Neil took a look at that one instead. “Stories about magic?” he asked.

Andrew honked, then shoved the other books off Neil’s lap, onto the forest floor. Neil grabbed them and stacked them nicely on his pack while Andrew took the books' spot. He assumed that meant a request to read the story, so he opened it up and started to, making sure his voice was quiet enough not to disturb the others. Andrew mostly napped in Neil’s lap, but seemed visibly happier. Neil wondered how long it had been since he got a chance to read his favorite stories. As tired as he was from riding all day, he stayed up for as long as he could, finally retiring to the tent Kevin had given him for the journey with Andrew following.

It made him think of the times they’d fall asleep together on Andrew’s nest of blankets. It was nearly as comfortable, but the familiarity was good to have.

~*~

The next day it rained. They continued to ride through it since it wasn’t a downpour, but it was still irritating. At one point Matt called to Renee, asking her to alter the weather. She hadn’t bothered with a response.

“What about you, Neil?” Matt now asked, turning towards the witch.

“What about me?”

“Can you stop the rain?”

“No,” Neil quickly replied. “Besides, why would I?”

Matt didn’t respond to that. “Isn’t your magic nature related?”

“I guess. I prefer nature, anyways.”

“What all can you do?”

Neil thought to himself, trying to figure out the best way to phrase it. He preferred sticking to his potions and charms to sate his magic, turning to nature like the elves taught him. He wasn’t a wizard or alchemist, spending time researching the limits of magic or science. He wasn’t a magician or mage like Renee, who focused on spells and enchantments. He separated himself from Sorcerers and Enchantresses because magic wasn’t his entire life or being. 

He didn’t want that.

“I was taught how to use my magic by the wood elves in the Enchanted Forest,” Neil started to explain. “They focus on and worship nature. They can speak to animals and trees, form relationships with them and keep them safe.”

“That sounds amazing,” Matt replied. “So, does that mean you can talk to Andrew when he’s…?”

Andrew peeked his head out from where he was hidden in Neil’s cloak, protected from the rainwater, and honked loudly. After that he ducked back to safety. “No,” Neil explained. “I know the language to speak to animals, but they need to know it to speak back. Not all do.”

“You seem to be able to understand him anyways,” Allison pointed out from where she was riding behind them.

“We had a lot of time to get to know each other.”

“How did you meet?” Dan asked from up ahead.

After glancing down at Andrew to see how he felt about him sharing the story, Neil began to explain. “I found him with a broken wing and healed him. Lots of animals just tend to find their way to my cottage, so he did, too. He gave me a chance and kept coming back, and one day he brought Aaron with. And now we’re here.”

“Saving the kingdom,” Matt continued for him with a nod.

“We’re all grateful for what you’re doing, Neil,” Dan said.

He shrugged. He wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t his friend who was in trouble. Besides, the Kingdom of Palmetto mattered to Andrew, so by proxy it mattered to Neil. 

They fell into some comfortable silence for some time. At one point Neil rode closer to Kevin, drawing his cloak tighter around himself and Andrew when he felt his friend start to shiver. _“Kevin,”_ he began in Elvish, glancing back at Renee, who nodded and quickly began a conversation with Allison. _“What happened between you and Riko?”_

Kevin stiffened. His grip on the reins in his hands tightened. _“I was once part of the Ravens. Riko was our leader and captain, and I was his second in command.”_

With a short nod, Neil asked, _“How did you leave? Nobody just…”_

_“Leaves the Ravens?”_ Kevin finished. _“No, you don’t.”_

_“So how did you?”_

_“I didn’t.”_ Kevin took a deep breath and finally looked Neil’s way. _“The only way you leave the Ravens is by death. We were on a routine mission of some kind and Riko got upset. I don’t remember how or why, but one way or another he broke my hand.”_ Kevin raised his left hand, covered in the silver armor of the Palmetto Knights. _“It hasn’t been the same since. I had to re-learn how to fight with my right as my dominant instead.”_

_“But how did you get away?”_

_“I was tended to by doctors, and after they’d bandaged me up I got a horse and just left.”_

It just made no sense. How was Kevin able to just walk away, especially with the power Riko has? With all the secrets Kevin had to know? _“And you came here?”_

_“My mother had left me some letters before she died that told me about who and where my father was,”_ Kevin said. _“I traveled to Foxhole and found him. He offered me a job at his shop, and it took a long time before I finally told him who I was. Before then Andrew showed up and took me to join the royal guard.”_

_“How’d Wymack take it?”_

_“It was difficult,”_ Kevin admitted. _“We both needed time. But he’s been there for me ever since.”_

It was nice to hear. Kevin’s story had a terrible start, but he was able to get himself in a better place. There was still time for everything to go to shit, but despite that he was still doing the mission. He had to be terrified to go back to E’Allen and face the man that was once his leader, and perhaps who he once considered his friend. Which brought up more questions Neil had.

_“Why is Riko doing this?”_ he asked, glancing down at Andrew, who was still protected by the cloak.

_“I don’t know,”_ Kevin said quietly. _“He’s always been jealous of his brother. But I think he just wanted recognition more than power.”_

_“But why curse Andrew?”_

Kevin stared at where Andrew was at Neil’s front. _“I’m sure Andrew said something to piss Riko off when they met for alliance, but with how quickly everything happened, he would’ve had this plan in place much sooner.”_ He shrugged. _“He can’t just suddenly seize power without the support of another kingdom, otherwise he could be forcibly removed from the throne. He’d need another kingdom to back him up.”_

“And who better than Palmetto,” Neil mumbled, mostly to himself. The kingdom was known throughout the lands for their small but strong guard, and had quickly risen in popularity ever since the death of Queen Tilda. Neil remembers when he stayed with the wood elves in the Enchanted Forest, who listened to the outside world but rarely participated in it. At one point they talked about the young princes that had quickly taken charge to strengthen their kingdom, and how neither were king yet but may as well be.

_“I think Riko meant to curse Aaron,”_ Kevin said quietly. _“It would make more sense.”_

_“But Aaron was already abdicating the throne,”_ Neil pointed out. He shook his head. _“The kingdom’s already been put into so much unrest because of Andrew’s disappearance. I don’t think he cared how he seized power, only that he did.”_

Staring ahead, Kevin said, “We’ll show him what happens when you mess with Palmetto.”

It was surprising to hear, but a good thing that Kevin felt that way. Neil let himself smile just a bit and nodded in response, falling back to rejoin the rest of the group.

The rain continued to fall and they continued to travel, but after another short rest and an hour ride Allison happily declared they were close to her estate as they went through another short wood. She described it as a lavish farm-like home near some mountains at the Palmetto border. Neil liked the sound of it, especially when she talked about her favorite childhood memories there, when she did horseback riding and learned sword fighting to spite her tutors. 

It wasn’t long after she finished talking that Neil noticed something was wrong. Since it hadn’t stopped raining he still had his cloak on, pulled over himself and Andrew to keep them both dry. He’d been distracted by Allison’s story but now without anything to fill the silence he could feel Andrew’s body shivering against his. He drew back the cloak to look down at his friend, seeing the way he curled tighter on himself, head hidden under his wing. 

“Kevin, we need to stop,” he called, quickly directing Esprit to a clearing off the path.

Everyone followed, and once they stopped Neil pulled his cloak back all the way. Andrew finally raised his head but didn’t stop shivering. The witch felt like asking if he was okay but it was pretty clear that wasn’t the case. So instead he dismounted his horse and watched Andrew wobbly glide to the ground. He took his cloak off and folded it up, setting it on the ground for him to sit on.

“Just wait here,” he whispered. “I’ll get you something.”

It was even more concerning when Andrew didn’t give a nod of acknowledgement, like he usually would in his swan form. Neil decided to ignore it and walked to his saddlebags, looking for something he brought with that could tell him what was wrong with Andrew. But just when he started, Kevin quickly rushed to his side, hand on his sword. _“Neil, there’s someone out there,”_ he whispered in Elvish.

Neil stiffened. This had to be the worst time for an attack. He quickly grabbed his bow and quiver of arrows and followed Kevin a few feet from everyone else, trying to listen for footsteps or spot anyone moving through the trees. _“What do you see?”_ he whispered back.

_“Ten attackers,”_ Kevin answered. _“I can’t tell where they’re from. They could be bandits.”_

_“Or they could work for Luther,”_ Neil replied optimistically. _“Or Riko.”_

Kevin nodded. _“They’re surrounding us.”_

“Then let’s do this quickly,” Neil said, louder. Everyone else in the company had quickly seen what was going on, all ready for attack. Both Dan and Matt had hands on their swords, Allison was subtly reaching for her own, and Renee had a focused look with a twinkle of magic in her eyes. They all gave a nod to each other, just a tiny movement only they could see, and waited.

Whoever had surrounded them all attacked at once. Neil could see they certainly dressed like bandits, wearing masks that covered the lower halves of their faces and commoner’s clothing. Neil had no idea if they appeared to be from E’Allen or Palmetto or neither, but he wasn’t focusing on that. He quickly drew an arrow and easily shot one of the bandits that ran towards him. Despite the arrow sticking out of their chest, they continued to rush forward, raising a long staff as tall as Neil himself with twin spears on either end.

The witch just barely managed to tuck his bow away at the quiver strapped to his back. For just a moment he considered drawing the shortsword but his hands reached for Andrew’s daggers instead, holding them up in a reverse grip to block the spears from stabbing him. Neil imagined it was much different to fight with a spear than a sword, but he knew for a fact his midsection was left exposed. The bandit didn’t go for any opening there, instead attempting to strike or stab places like his knees or feet or arms.

Blocking another jab aimed for his knees, Neil finally saw his chance and stabbed them in their chest, right below where the arrow still stuck. Finally they began to slow, trying to still swat at Neil with their staff, so Neil jumped away, leaving one dagger still in the bandit’s chest. He twirled the remaining dagger in his hand to hold it with the blade facing forward.

“Come on,” he hissed to himself, dodging another lazy jab and stabbing the second dagger right next to the first. They finally fell back, eyes slowly closing. “Fucking finally,” Neil huffed, taking Andrew’s daggers back in his hands and tucking them away into the sheaths on his thighs.

Reaching around his side to grab his bow, Neil notched an arrow and turned to where Kevin was not far away, trying to fight two of the bandits at once. Neil planted his feet and raised his bow, trying to look for the best place to let the arrow go. Kevin knocked one to the ground and then began to struggle with another, eyes flicking towards where Neil was and turning the bandit’s back towards the witch. Neil’s eyes zeroed in on the back of the bandit’s head. He let the arrow go, and it planted itself in their neck, right below the back of the skull. Kevin pushed them off just in time for the other bandit to get back to their feet.

Focus came to Neil. He could feel his magic burning under his skin, pushing to release, but he didn’t let it. He quickly looked around, analyzing how the rest of the fight was going. Dan, Matt and Allison were each fighting someone. Renee was fighting two at once, using her magic to attack. Neil drew another arrow and aimed at the second attacker going for Allison, taking them out before she could get hurt. _That’s three,_ Neil thought. Renee had two. Kevin, Matt, Dan and Allison each had one. _There’s ten. Where’s the last one?_

Heart pounding, Neil looked to where Andrew had been sitting. The pale-gold swan was missing, along with the tenth attacker. Panic made him move, running to where his cloak was abandoned and slamming his hand to the ground. Magic stuck under his skin finally pushed forward, making swirls and lines in strange designs shine orange, like a tiny sunrise beneath the palm of his hand, as he quickly muttered a tracking spell under his breath, hoping he wasn’t too late.

White spots that made a trail filled Neil’s vision. He jumped to his feet and sprinted after the wisps of light, thankful he was fast and light on his feet. When his hands and eyes started to burn he quickly released the spell, stopping and listening. In the distance he could hear the continued fight the others were waging, but that’s not what he was concerning himself with. After a few seconds he heard a loud honk and ran in that direction, drawing another arrow while he looked.

Eventually he spotted them. Andrew was flying away from the attacker, who was attempting to shoot him down with their own bow and arrow. Quickly raising his own, Neil shot the attacker’s arrow out of the air before it could hit his friend, then quickly drew another and aimed it at them. “Who are you?” he demanded, standing so that he was between the attacker and Andrew.

They didn’t respond. They had an arrow aimed towards Neil and a clear frown on their face despite the mask. If Neil had to guess he’d say this was a man, but after a moment of observing he noticed something even more interesting: their bow. It was of Elvish make. 

This person was an elf, he was sure of it.

“You’re…” Neil said, staring at them more and wondering why their eyes seemed familiar.

They released their arrow. Neil quickly dodged it by hiding behind a nearby tree when he noticed the green magic trailing off the end, not sure what spell had been placed on it and not eager to find out, either. He took a deep breath and stepped out again, aiming at them, but they were faster. This time their arrow hit Neil’s bow, and it immediately disintegrated into ash in his hands. His magic thrummed and pushed once again for him to reach for the shortsword on the belt around his waist, but Neil reached for Andrew’s daggers instead. Before he could draw them from their sheaths, the elf was walking towards him, one hand outstretched.

Neil recognized the words of the spell he was speaking. It was a sleeping spell, one that would keep him under for a day or so. He quickly tried to remember the words to a counter, but already the spell was coming towards him.

They wanted him alive. This was a bad sign.

Suddenly, Andrew flew forward, honking loudly. He aimed for the attacker’s face, successfully hitting them, but the spell had already been cast. More green light shone brightly, hitting Andrew’s body. He immediately folded to the ground in front of the elf, who had dropped their bow when Andrew hit them.

Neil sprinted forward, grabbed the fallen bow and notched an arrow, aiming towards the attacker’s heart. He didn’t know if he was in shock or just didn’t aim correctly but the arrow went to the right, hitting the elf’s right arm. They let out a muffled yell and ran off, but Neil still sat ready for an attack for at least a few minutes afterwards. There wasn’t much going through his mind other than keeping his friend safe. His heart pounded and he listened, trying to figure out if anyone else was around.

His magic responded to his fear. Neil had the sudden urge to go after the elf, and to use the shortsword to take him down. He had questions he needed answers to, like who these people were, who they worked for, and why they weren’t trying to kill them. The steady grip he thought he had on the bow wavered, and Neil suddenly realized that ever since he saw Andrew take a hit meant for him he’d been shaking, which probably explained why his aim was off.

Neil was only brought back to himself when he heard someone calling his name.

The fight must be over.

Lowering the bow, Neil looked down at Andrew. He was laying on his side, one wing fanned out over the ground covered in wet leaves, dirtying the pale-gold of his feathers. Neil dropped the bow and arrow in his hands to the side and reached towards Andrew’s neck, trying to feel for a pulse. Sleeping spells, when not casted correctly, had the chance to become ones that kill instead. Though it took more seconds than he’d like to finally find it, Neil breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the tiny flutters of blood still pumping through Andrew’s veins. 

For a moment Neil leaned back and stared at his sleeping friend, still feeling his hands shake. Just the thought of what could’ve happened terrified him to his core, more than the thought of being recognized, going back to E’Allen, running into his father’s men or even dying had ever scared him in the past. Taking a deep yet shaky breath, Neil finally felt just calm enough to retrieve the elf’s bow and his arrow, shoving the arrow back in the quiver placed over the small of his back and shouldering the bow. Then, he reached out to gather the swan in his arms, get to his feet and start to walk back to the others. 

Everyone seemed roughed around the edges - noticeably, Allison had a black eye and Renee a cut on her cheek - but they were alive. Dan and Matt briefly touched foreheads in a gesture of what Neil could only assume was some sort of comfort to them both. Kevin had been scanning the woods, but by the time Neil came up to them all he was right there, looking concerningly at Andrew.

“He’s okay,” Neil quickly reassured everyone, placing Andrew back down on his cloak. It was damp due to the rain that hadn’t stopped falling, but it would be more comfortable than the ground. “Sleeping spell. He’ll be out until tomorrow at the earliest.”

“A sleeping spell?” Kevin asked.

Neil nodded. “I think they were trying to take us alive.”

Kevin didn’t appear to be listening to that. Instead, he stared at the bow Neil now took the chance to move. It was _not_ comfortable to have over his shoulder. “Where did you get that?”

“From the one that attacked Andrew.”

Kevin shook his head. Noticeably, his hands started to shake and his face lost a bit of color as it paled. “That’s Jean Moreau’s bow. We were just attacked by the Ravens.”

“The Ravens?” Dan spoke up, sounding both confused and appalled.

“I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner,” Kevin whispered, sitting down on a nearby log and rubbing his face. “If they wanted us dead, we would be. Neil’s right: they were trying to take us alive.”

“What does this mean?” Renee asked.

“Someone’s figured out what we’re doing.”

It wasn’t that surprising. Neil fully blamed Aaron and Nicky for seeing them off, which would’ve given him some suspicions if he was in Luther’s spot. He didn’t know if Luther had magic or not, but without it getting a message to Riko in this amount of time was impossible. That meant that someone had to have tipped them off before they’d even left. To Neil, that meant someone in their company couldn’t be trusted. Either that or Riko was crazy paranoid.

For now, there was one person he could think of that was once close to Riko in any way. Neil stood up and took a few steps closer to Kevin. _“Who did you tell about the mission?”_

_“No one,”_ Kevin immediately answered in Elvish.

_“ W_ _ho? "_Neil stressed.

_“No one, I wouldn’t risk that!”_ Kevin stood up and looked upset. “No one would’ve said anything. We must’ve been overheard in the palace.”

“Do you think Luther alerted Riko?” Dan asked.

“It’s possible. Either way, we need to be careful.”

Neil wanted to believe it, and he mostly did. He didn’t want Kevin to be a double agent(If he was a double agent he was a _hell_ of a double agent. And actor.) He didn’t realize his hands were shaking again, hands balled into fists, until Renee placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Immediately Neil wanted to push it away, but he held back the urge and looked to her. “We need to stay calm,” she decided. “Riko will do whatever it takes to stop this, including tearing us apart from the inside. Arguing about this will neither solve or prove anything.”

She was right, of course. And this whole mission just kept getting worse and worse. Deciding to leave it for now, Neil’s eyes ended up gravitating back to Andrew where he was on the cloak, and suddenly he remembered why he’d pulled everyone over in the first place. “Shit,” Neil mumbled under his breath, moving back towards Esprit and reaching for one of the saddlebags. Before he could open it, he stopped. He could use a potion to figure out what had made Andrew sick before, but magic still hummed underneath his skin, an uncomfortable buzz that he felt he needed to itch. A spell would be faster.

He crossed over and held a hand over Andrew’s right wing, muttering some words. The next time Neil opened his eyes, what he saw made him curse again, lowly to himself. There was a pale green light swirling around Andrew’s form, the same color as the light that would mark the magic of the curse, turning him from swan to human and vice versa. He wasn’t sure why it hadn’t occurred to him before.

“This is bad,” he said louder, looking up at everyone else as he released the spell. “It’s the curse. It’s killing him.”

“Killing him?” Kevin asked first.

“It’s because he’s not fulfilling it. You need to follow curses by the letter to break them, but also to live with them. If you don’t, they can kill you.” Neil got to his feet. “During the day he has to be a swan. At night he has to turn human. Since he’s only been following part of the curse, it’s killing him. He needs to go back to the lake.”

There was a heavy silence for a few seconds. “What about the mission?” Matt spoke up. “What about Riko and Luther?”

Neil shrugged, then looked at Kevin. He was standing stiffly, staring down at Andrew with a frown on his face. They’d have to go back to save him, but at the same time getting an audience with Ichirou was so important. Lots of bad things could happen not just in the two kingdoms, but throughout the entire land. 

An idea came to Neil. A bad one, but it was the only one they had.

_“Take him back,”_ he told Kevin in Elvish. _“I’ll go.”_

_“Go? Alone?”_ Kevin shook his head. _“You can’t. They’ll track you and kill you.”_

_“I’m fast. And that message needs to be delivered.”_ Neil gripped Jean’s bow tighter, deciding a stolen one was better than none. Especially if it was Elvish. “I’m not afraid of them.”

Everyone kept looking back and forth from Kevin to Neil. He didn’t let their stares sway him - he knew he had to do this. Not because he was trying to be a hero or anything, but because Kevin couldn’t enter Evermore alone and the others couldn’t navigate the Enchanted Forest. Neil was already expecting to die on this mission, so it would just be better if nobody would see it.

“I can’t ask you to do that,” Kevin said, looking worried.

“You’re not. I’m offering.” Neil attempted a smile, but it was full of nerves he couldn’t get rid of. “I’m _going_ to do this, Kevin. Trust me.”

After staring some more, daring the other to give in first, Kevin finally nodded. “Fine. I’ll take him back.”

Neil nodded back. “Thank you.”

“Deliver the message. Don’t let down your guard, even after you have.”

Trusting Kevin to understand what his silence meant, Neil walked to Esprit and secured the saddlebags and his pack. He reached inside one of them, pulling out three vials of a purple potion he’d prepared. “Here,” he said, handing them to Kevin. “Stamina potions. Give it to your horse, and you could get back to the Enchanted Forest by tomorrow.”

Kevin took them. “I will,” he promised.

Neil took a deep breath and held out a hand to shake that Kevin took. To go to E’Allen alone… Neil’s eyes drifted towards Andrew, still laying on his cloak. If things went the way he thought - no, the way he _knew_ they were going to go - this would be the last time he saw them. At least neither Kevin or Andrew would be there to watch what went down. Neil found himself really wishing he could find the words to say goodbye, but in the end none came to him, and even if they did the one person he wanted to hear them wouldn’t.

So instead he mounted the horse, looked back at the company he’d traveled with for such a short time and offered them all a small smile, which he felt was the best goodbye he could muster up. It felt like he could’ve known these people for much more than just two days. He was almost sad to go. “Safe travels to your home,” he called.

“Stay safe, Neil,” Dan and Renee called back.

“Good luck,” Matt added.

Just as he grabbed the reins, Kevin stepped forward and loosely grabbed his wrist. Neil felt the urge to pull his hand away but fought it, instead giving Kevin his full attention. _“Ride fast,”_ Kevin said to him, a bit softly. _“Keep your bow strong. And don’t look back.”_

It was an Elvish blessing. Neil nodded one last time, then patted Esprit on her neck. “Let’s go,” he told her, urging her forward. She began with a light trot back to the main path, then a canter once they made it there, and out of the forest. Up ahead were the mountains that marked the border of the Palmetto Kingdom, and on the other side was E’Allen. The sight of them made Neil feel nervous, yet oddly calm at the same time.

“Ride fast,” Neil told Esprit. She began to gallop towards the border, and they were alone.

**Time left until the coronation: 14 days**

**Author's Note:**

> Hi again.
> 
> I hope that everyone is doing okay, especially with all the crazy shit going on right now. I want to ask that everyone please stay safe and look after yourselves, wear a mask and wash your hands. Please take care of yourself not just physically but also mentally - this time is crazy as shit, it's easy to fall down a dark mental road, so please keep track of your thoughts and don't be afraid to reach out to someone if you need to. If you ever need someone to reach out to feel free to reach out to me if you have to, either by messaging me here, on Instagram (@redheadfirebred) or tumblr (@jingerhead). 
> 
> I also wanted to thank everyone who read this fic, I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed. Given all the shit that’s going on I hope this was at the very least entertaining. I've read this whole thing too many times to count by now so hopefully I got every spelling error and mistake. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below, I read them all and do my best to reply to them all as well. There’s 7 more parts on the way, I’m in the process of finishing up my first draft to the next and the rest are planned out. Keep an eye out for part 4 coming next week!
> 
> Stay safe out there, my darlings!
> 
> [ Excerpt taken from the poem "The Fight With The Dragon" by Friedrich Schiller ]


End file.
